Hello to anyone who happens to be reading this, I hope you’ve had a fantastic day. Today is June 19th, the official end of my second week of learning Arabic!

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In terms of what I struggled with the past few sessions, it would definitely be how to ask for help, even in the midst of feeling very embarrassed or feeling like asking for help won’t amount to much (spoiler alert: not true!). While I’ve only had 12 sessions of learning Arabic thus far, this week has been the hardest. The rigor of this coursework absolutely rivals that of my most difficult classes at UT Austin so that has been an adjustment for sure.

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Throughout the week I found that the information just wasn’t clicking. I found myself comparing my Arabic Language learning to the year I spent learning French and became very frustrated at the pace at which I have been able to memorize grammatical concepts and vocabulary. However, one thing I really enjoy about the program is the fact that the directors and teachers stress over and over that they are there to help guide you, overall they’re just really empathetic in the entire process due to their own personal experiences learning languages.

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Reaching out for help allowed me to feel supported in my journey and provided me with the courage to continue to speak up when I am having trouble.

Doing so has been very helpful for pinpointing the best strategies to help aid in my learning process and Arabic lessons six days a week.

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Similarly, I learned how to take advantage of different study methods to allow me to absorb as much information as possible. I learned the hard way that one method of language learning doesn’t always apply to other languages and for me, learning both MSA and Jordanian Arabic requires much more practice and diligence than I ever needed for French. Figuring this out made it easier for me to see progress (albeit very slow progress since it’s only the end of my second week, but progress no less)!

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If anyone is reading this that is currently in the beginning stages of learning a language or thinking of learning a language I ask that you remember that it won’t always be easy or quick but that there are resources meant to guide you along the way. This is a personal reminder to not give up and to keep trying new strategies to find what works for you!

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As always, thank you for reading, see you next week!